Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Qom

For one person, living is cheaper in Qom: $436 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Qom, Iran
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Qom
🇮🇷 Iran
$436
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Qom

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Qom actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $436 in Qom, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Qom $436

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $847 in Qom, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Qom $847

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,257 in Qom, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Qom $1,257

Medellin costs about 288% more than Qom, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Qom is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Qom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$3.05 $3.05
173.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.1K
$15.89 $15.89
192.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$3.91 $3.91
142.20%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.52 $0.52
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.48 $1.48
-
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$1.01 $1.01
209.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,700
$0.41 $0.41
331.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,597
$1.73 $1.73
-17.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Qom
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,946
$0.53 $0.53
188.68%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,394
$0.62 $0.62
269.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,276
$1.70 $1.70
14.12%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,895
$1.02 $1.02
200.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.2K
$2.81 $2.81
255.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$3.13 $3.13
233.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.0K
$7.45 $7.45
87.38%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$0.79 $0.79
412.66%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,932
$1.46 $1.46
4.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,791
$0.99 $0.99
112.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,402
$0.47 $0.47
387.23%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,807
$0.47 $0.47
348.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,515
$0.43 $0.43
297.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,776
$0.26 $0.26
350.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,099
$0.26 $0.26
507.69%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.77 $0.77
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.47 $0.47
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.48 $1.48
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$1.22 $1.22
220.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.3K
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,685
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,752
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Qom
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,807
$0.17 $0.17
594.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.2K
$14.48 $14.48
426.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,831
$0.26 $0.26
596.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,871
$0.25 $0.25
752.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.2K
$1.02 $1.02
697.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,115
$0.08 $0.08
1500.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.1M
$50.7K $50.7K
-32.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.1M
$46.1K $46.1K
-25.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Qom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.5K
$12.79 $12.79
1289.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$1.27 $1.27
993.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.2K
$3.97 $3.97
674.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Qom
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.4K
$8.60 $8.60
387.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.2K
$9.86 $9.86
70.39%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$0.98 $0.98
662.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Qom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$108 $108
629.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$2,623 $2,623
368.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Qom
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.6K
$15.29 $15.29
464.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.2K
$12.99 $12.99
356.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.4K
$100 $100
37.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 318.9K
$49.43 $49.43
99.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Qom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$237 $237
465.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$160 $160
317.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$578 $578
241.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$573 $573
80.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$885 $885
362.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$611 $611
217.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Qom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$216 $216
199.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
20.33
-46.19%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Qom: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Qom
$160 76% $507
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Qom
$94 69.3% $213
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Qom
$18 91.9% $204
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Qom
$57 67% $116
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Qom
$80 53.5% $92
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Qom
$17 82.2% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Qom
$11 81.4% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $237 in Qom. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 3 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $16 in Qom. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $94 – making Qom the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇷 Qom
🕒 Local time
15:25 3:25 PM
23:55 11:55 PM
8 h 30 min ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
1,075,000
💱 Currency
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,609 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Qom 12,800 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Qom

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Medellin vs Qom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Qom cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 288%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $655 in Qom. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Qom, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $237 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Qom?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $16 in Qom. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Qom?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $436 in Qom. That makes Qom about 74% cheaper.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Qom?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Qom, where all-in costs run around $436, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Qom it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Qom more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Qom – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Qom. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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